The Bermagui Project

The Bermagui Project is a process of coming together and discovering, transferring knowledge and reflecting about our place. The project will draw together stories, culture, history and knowledge of our place and reflect that in new works of music, dance and art, as well as how we experience the Four Winds’ site.

Our 10ha site has two architect designed arts performances spaces with manicured surrounds providing an inspirational setting for music. To enhance our natural environment, Four Winds decided to transform much of the remaining area of ex-beef cattle grazing land, into a native species arboretum. With major input from local Landcare, botanists and Indigenous local knowledge, including creating interpretive signage, we will restore the original flora – greatly increasing biodiversity – and provide native species education and for our local, regional and national community.

The Bermagui Project is a commitment to our beliefs: that music making can transform lives; that our place, our site and our community are connected; that the environment is vital to human flourishment; and that a strong cultural life helps create a strong community.

Bermagui Project Stage 1 | 2014 – 2015:

The first year, 2014, of the Bermagui Project worked to build on our years of song-writing workshops with the local Koori community, Shellie Morris returned with Archie Roach to perform and to continue composing music with local Indigenous musicians. In 2016, David Leha (Radical Son) continued this work, resulting in a performance at the 2016 Festival.

We worked to:

Build stronger relationships with local Indigenous communities as the basis for ongoing creative arts projects and collaborations;

Foster two-way learning between Indigenous and non-indigenous members of the community;

Work with emerging musicians and potential or existing artistic leaders and mentors to create pathways for others in the community to be supported in music making;

Create more opportunities for original works of music (dance, arts?) to be presented in the community;

Involve local professional musicians so that the creative lives of participating artists, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, are enriched.

Inform the way the Four Winds’ evolves as a native species arboretum and space for performance and education

We invite you to stay in touch for more developments of this exciting project.

Stage 2 of the Bermagui Project has now received funding from Arts NSW and the Federal Government’s Regional Development Fund. It builds on, and significantly develops, the initial Indigenous phase of this project as well as confirming our track record for delivering projects by working in partnership with the community.

The Bermagui Project is a cultural conversation instigated through creative collaborations between musical and visual artists, scientists and the South Coast community. It encourages communities to reflect on ‘place’, inspired by local Indigenous knowledge, scientific analysis of the environment and through creative arts practice.

The project’s geographical focus is the country between Mount Gulaga and Mumbulla Mountain and involves the Indigenous community, professional artists, ANU, regional artists and young people.The ANU School of Art Field Studies Program methodology will be used to train leading visual artists as co-ordinators, working with other visual artists from our region whose work is inspired by our place.The resulting works will be exhibited as part of a collaboration with the Bega Regional Gallery.

As part of our commitment to supporting the development of the arts in our region, Four Winds will continue to be part of the National Music Teacher Mentoring program in 2016. We will be exploring a theme of music and words for a different style of festival in 2017 and commissioning different works leading into our Easter Festival in 2018.